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Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 122, 3 June 1901, Page 4

Continued from third page. Ayres being incorrect. Henry Jones, the night porter at the Grand Hotel, and David Middleton, one of ,the waiters, accompanied the coroner and jury to view the bodies. From the morgue the coroner and jury drove to the sceno of the fire. Sergeant Forbes pointed out the spot where the three bodies were found,' and Henry Jones, night porter, and David Middelton, waiter, stated that this spot was immediately below the room occupied by the three girls. Both the night porter and the waiter stated, in reply to the coroner, that the girls slept in room No. 22, at the back of the old building, ou the harbor side, and that therefore any story being told outside to tho effect - that they were seen crying for help at one of the Princess street windows must be incorrect. The coroner and jurymen also looked over the building, and Mr Currie, architect, explained to them the position of the fire escapes, and promised to provide them with a plan of the interior for use at the inquiry. Mr Currie stated that had the fire been seen at an early stage it would have beeu impossible, in his opinion, for anybody to get blocked. Two fire escapes came from the roof of tho building right down the well in the centre. They were bolted to the wall.

David Middleton stated that from what lie saw of the fire nobody who attempted to get out by tho fire escapes could have had any chance. When he first saw the fire it was the thickest just where the fire escapes were. Having finished their inspection of the ruined building, the coroner and jury drove to the hospital, and viewed the body of Dora Wallace. Both Middleton and Jones identified the body. The coroner and jury then returned to the Central Hotel, and proceeded to take evidence as to the identification of the bodies. Sub-Inspector Mitchell represented the police. .Henry Jones, night porter at the Grand Hotel, said : I have been employed at the hotel about six months. I know the three children, Leonora, Eva, and Nina Johnston. The eldest, Leonora, was'between 14 and 15 years of ago; Eva, the next, ’ was about 12, and Nina, the youngest, was about seven. They all slept last night in room No. 22, a bedroom on tho top flat of the hotel. I say they slept last night, bocause I took their boots from tho outside of the room. There were threo pairs of boots, two pairs of laced boots aud ono pair of buttoned boots. I removed them about midnight. I know that the boots belonged to Mr and Mrs Johnston’s children, as I had cleaned them on former occasions. I saw tho remains of three human beings at the morgue. The Coroner: Have you any doubt whatever that these were tho remains of Leonora Johnston, Eva Johnston, and Nina Johnston.

Witness : I could not positively identify them, but I have no doubt in my mind. I also viewed tho body at the hospital. It is the body of Miss Dora Wallace, who was housemaid in the hotel. I last saw the eldest girl Johnston about lialf-past seven on Thursday evening. I had seen the other two during the day. I saw Miss Wallace about eleven o’clock on Thursday night. She was then going upstairs, apparently to her bedroom. After tho fire I saw her at the Northern Club, after she had fallen. To Sub-I ispoctor Mitchell: Sergeant Forbes pointed out to me this afternoon tho spot where the three bodies wero found. It w-as immediately below room No. 22, in which tho threo girls were sleeping. David Middleton, waiter at tho hotel, confirmed the evidence of the night porter. By Mr Twinamc: The only fire escapes that I know of in connection with the Grand Hotel were two in number. They wore situated as fivtures in what was known as the well of tho building. Tho well was the whole height of tho hotel, aud was all enclosed by the brick wall. In case of fire, in order to escape by means of this well, a person would first have to pass, on dropping from either fire escape, through one doorway, which led into a small passage within the building, then through another door, which was the back exit of the building. That was the only way of getting out at the back of the building. In order to get out by the front of the building a person would have to walk up a flight of about twelve stairs, through the boothouse, then through a doorway, then into a little passage and through the main hall to the front door. By Mr Martin : My impressions, from being one of the occupants of the building at the time of the firo, are that the fire escapes were absolutely useless ; they would simply lead people into the flames, and would be nothing less than a death-trap. By Mr Court: The back exit led into a backyard. The Coroner at this stage said the' identification of the four bodies was ample. The jury had the evidence of the two witnesses, and they had, in addition, the sight of their own eyes. The two larger bodies a,t the morgue were certainly female bodies, and the third was the body of a small child. Henry Jones was then re-called, and in answer to the sub-inspector, said : Shortly before one o’clock this morning I was in the hall at the foot of the stairs in front of the building on the upper ground floor. There were two ground floosr, the back being on a lower level than the front. I had gone thero from the boothouse. I had just finished cleaning the boots. The boothouse was adjacent to the well, the bottom of which was reached by a flight of about 12 steps. I was in the bootroom between half an hour and threequarters of an hour. The door that led into the well was closed during that time. Thero was no window from that room looking into the well. I left the boothouse by the door that led into a passage, which afterwards leads into the main hall. On reaching the main hall from the passage, the two being divided by swing doors, I saw smoke there ; that is, in the hall, when I opened they swing doors. There was a gas jet burning in the hall within three yards of the swing doors. On looking up the open staircase I saw there was smoke on the first floor also. I then thought thero was a fire. I ran up the staircase to the first floor, and went to the door of Mr Johnston’s room. I opened the door and shouted the alarm to Mr Johnston. I was also giving tho alarm as I was going upstairs. Mr Johnston's room was on the side of the hotel nearest the harbor. When I was wakening Mr Johnston I noticed smoke coming along the corridor on the other side of that floor. The smoke appeared to bo coming from tho back portion of the house. I had been round that part of the building collecting the boots about half-au-hour or threequarters of an hour before this. On that floor I collected boots outside the door of No. 84 room. I believe they were Mr Craven’s boots. As far as I am aware, No. 84 was the only room on that corridor occupied that night. There were two windows only from that corridor, both leading- into the well. I cannot say whether these windows or either of them were open or closed. Ido not know, as a matter of fact, that some ladders arrived on Thursday, but I heard Mr. Johnston say he was getting ladders fixed to the two front balconies. After I wakened Mr Johnston I went down the corridor where I saw smoke coming from, and I saw flames sweeping along the passago like wildfire. -

By Mr Martin : I was not carrying any light with me when I collected the boots. There was a gas jet burning in the corridor. On the top floor the gas was out, and I struck a match to get the boots. That is nowhere near where I saw the smoko. This was all the evidence taken. The Coronor explained that the sub-

inspector wished an adjournment over the festivities in connection with the reception of the Duke and Duchess of York. He suggested June 17 as a suitablo day.. Sub-Inspeetor-Mitchell said one of his reasons for a lengthy adjournment was that they could not possibly do without Mr Johnston’s evidence, and he understood Mr Johnston’s condition at present was, if not precarious, at all events, so bad that the doctor had forbidden the police to make any effort to see him or Mrs Johnston, and no doubt it would be Or-considerable time before they could be seen.

The inquest was then adjourned till June 17, the jurymen being bound over in £YO each for further attendance.

The Coroner, after the adjournment, granted an order for the burial of the four bodies.